Membership Booklet 2018-final.digital · network called Blue Ocean Faith Churches, with established churches or new church plants in Boston, Manhattan, Iowa City, Madison WI, Wooster

revised 10.08.18

MEMBERSHIP BOOKLET Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor

Contents

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................3 Blue Ocean Faith Mission Statement ......................................................................................................4 Shared Faith and Theological Distinctives ............................................................................................5

Apostles’ Creed ................................................................................................................................. 5 Theological Distinctives ................................................................................................................... 6

9 Perspectives of Blue Ocean Faith .........................................................................................................9 The Three Mission Tasks of Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor ..............................................................12 Expectations of Membership .................................................................................................................14 Budget Process ........................................................................................................................................15 Staff ...........................................................................................................................................................16 Blue Ocean Faith Ann Arbor Board .....................................................................................................17 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................19

Current Budget ................................................................................................................................ 19 Ann Arbor Blue Ocean Church Bylaws ....................................................................................... 20

BLUE OCEAN FAITH, ANN ARBOR MEMBERSHIP BOOKLET 3

Introduction

We have a “one year/renewable” approach to church membership at Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor. Each Fall, we have a membership sermon series (http://a2blue.org/) to invite all to either renew their membership for the coming year or become members for the first time. This helps us to be a church with an active membership and seems to suit the needs of a university town with lots of coming and going. This booklet provides lots of background information and perspective for those considering membership and serves as a supplement to our membership sermon series.

If you have questions or would like to meet with one of our co-pastors, let one of us know. Emily’s email is [email protected]. Ken’s is [email protected]. Whether you’ve been here since we started in 2014 or are new this year, we’d love to get to know you better!

Emily Swan

Ken Wilson

https://a2blue.org/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Blue Ocean Faith Mission Statement

The founding of Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor coincided with the launch of a new church network called Blue Ocean Faith Churches, with established churches or new church plants in Boston, Manhattan, Iowa City, Madison WI, Wooster MA, Berkley CA, and Columbus OH, with a handful of churches considering affiliation with the network.

The Mission Statement for Blue Ocean Faith Church Network is:

To make an experience of the goodness of God accessible to everyone.

For more information about the Blue Ocean Church Network visit http://www.blueoceanfaith.org/.


Shared Faith and Theological Distinctives

At Blue Ocean Faith Ann Arbor, we like to say that we need connection more than we need answers. There is space for doubt and questioning and mystery in all things related to God. We don’t (as if we could anyway!) require anyone to swallow the whole package, so to speak, in order to belong and journey with us. In that spirit, we embrace the traditional Apostles’ creed as it’s been passed down to us since the 4th century CE, representing the faith shared by the church across many cultures and locations over a long history.

Apostles’ Creed I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.


Theological Distinctives We’ve also identified six defining characteristics of the Blue Ocean approach to faith that give our communities a unique feel:

1. Solus Jesus is our framework. The Protestant Reformation was shaped by reaction to the centralization of authority in the Pope. The Reformers replaced this by locating sole authority in Holy Scripture, a formulation dubbed “Sola Scriptura” or “Scripture Alone.” This served many wonderful and needed purposes. It encouraged normal Christians to read and meditate on the Bible for themselves. It democratized biblical scholarship.

But this also ultimately fed into a modernist, context-free, mechanistic view of following Jesus. The Bible was regarded as a safe authority because it was unchanging and therefore wouldn’t be capricious as the popes so often were. But modernism then defined the Bible against the Bible’s own definition by saying that it was God’s only meaningful expression of what he wanted from us. Contrary to Jesus’ whole point in the Parable of the Sower, this made following Jesus equate to mastering a user’s manual rather than going to the very-much-alive Giver of the Bible and following him. Jesus and Paul and Peter and Barnabas repeatedly showed us that God, being alive, always speaks in fresh ways. They pioneered the view that our Lord isn’t our faulty interpretations of biblical texts. Instead, our Lord is Jesus. Keeping our eyes on him and following where he leads is the heart of Christian faith. This does not by any means negate Bible reading and scholarship. Blue Ocean leaders customarily are the most-passionate and informed Bible readers in their circles! Instead, it puts the Bible back into the category it claims for itself of being an invaluable guide as we follow Jesus and as we interpret it in light of the cross.

2. Centered Set is our primary metaphor. We’ve been helped by an anthropological model of two kinds of sets. One, represented by a circle, we call “bounded set.” In this view, you’re either inside or outside of our circle for any


number of reasons. In a bounded set, one’s reason for existing is to encourage as many people as possible to cross into one’s circle. When churches are bounded-set, our experience is that they undervalue the ways in which their set is not just theological, but cultural.

The second kind of set, represented by a large dot on a page that’s surrounded by many small dots, we call “centered set.” Here the issue is not being inside or outside, but of movement towards or away from the center. When the center is Jesus, who, again, is alive and interactive, spirituality becomes alive. We’ve found the implications of a centered-set faith to be profound, and—because this is our primary metaphor—each of the distinctives in this document reflects our understanding of those implications.

But a central implication is that our measures for discipleship towards Jesus become pragmatic (is the person in question appearing to actually connect with the living Jesus [and with others and with themselves] or not?) rather than being abstract (are they obeying a lengthy list of religious rules?).

3. Child-like faith is our path to spiritual development. Genesis 3 is central to our understanding of spiritual growth. Do we “eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and thereby take on the crushing burden of running our own lives apart from God (and judging ourselves and others as a result)? Or do we embrace the way of the cross (and the way of the tree of life) and regard ourselves, as Jesus encourages us to do, as a child accompanied by a loving parent? As we learn to turn to God for all things and to give all our burdens to Jesus and to trust in the guidance and care of a good and loving Father, all things get better. A good deal of our spirituality focuses on the ins and outs of doing this for a lifetime.

4. Third Way Inclusion is our approach to controversial issues. Religious controversies, like all controversies, encourage affirmation and condemnation. We do not regard our role as affirming anyone (Jesus, for instance, tells us “no one is good but God alone”) or condemning anyone (as Jesus tells us never to judge). We also recognize that genuine religious controversies are often not at all obvious and deal with questions that are suddenly very important—questions that previous ages and/or cultures didn’t need to deal with. As such, though they do ultimately resolve, most hot-button religious issues are, for a time, “disputable” in the sense that Paul describes in Romans 14. Paul encourages us to bear with one another during those times of dispute, but not to exclude as we do. This Pauline way is the Third Way we take at these times. We give space for each person to wrestle with the issues as best as they can. But we do not exclude earnest seekers after truth from full participation in our communities of faith, whether they disagree with us or not.


5. Ecumenical is our connection to other faith communities. While the backgrounds of the earliest Blue Ocean Faith pastors have largely been evangelical and renewalist, we learn from all Christendom (and beyond). Many of us, for instance, have found that our best teachers on spirituality have been Catholics. We recognize that there have been four historic types of churches as described by Phyllis Tickle in The Great Emergence: liturgical, evangelical, social justice and renewalist. We see room for churches that are situated in different places on these quadrants within the Blue Ocean, and we believe that the Spirit is calling churches to circle toward the center where the treasures in each sector of the quadrant are most concentrated. The center of this quadrant, of course, is Jesus himself.

6. Joyful Engagement is our interaction with culture. Among the oldest questions for people of faith is how to think about engaging with the culture around us. This is a primary question of the Hebrew Bible, where the answer largely is to avoid being infected by the evils of surrounding cultures. The New Testament changes this perspective substantially. Now faithful people are encouraged to obey godless authorities as if they’ve been instituted by God. We’re to continue the Hebrew Bible’s mandate to “be salt and light to all nations” rather than to withdraw from them. Jesus argues that, in him, rather than fearing infection by even small contact with the cultures around us, it now will be just the reverse—small contacts will bring his divine essence into these interactions. Protestant holiness movements have emphasized the earlier “be separate” ethos (the Amish perhaps are the most stark picture of this). Culture, in this view, is only corrupting. It must be resisted and opposed and “appeasing” it is considered a great evil. Blue Ocean churches joyfully engage culture, knowing that, where there are people, there is the image of God. Culture often “gets there first” in terms of deep, godly insights, as has often been true not only in the arts, but in social issues. Because we know the living Jesus, we’re less concerned about Hebrew-Bible-style “infection” from culture. Instead, we’re hopeful and childlike in our belief that, as people of faith called to “be salt and light,” good things will happen as we meet, love, talk with, learn from, and experience life alongside our friends and neighbors in the larger culture.


9 Perspectives of Blue Ocean Faith

1. We need connection more than we need answers.

“Why is this happening to me?” is the great human question. And yet we’ve found it doesn’t actually feed us to pursue it. Instead, with thinkers like the author of Job, we’ve found that we’re more looking for connection—with ourselves, with our world, and with our God. Like Job, when that connection exists, all sorts of great things happen. And, when it doesn’t, no amount of answers or insights seems to help us.

2. Everyone is us.

It’s tempting for those of us in the religion world to divide up the world into people like us (who share our culture and values and preferences) and people unaccountably not like us, who are either—at worst—enemies of the things we hold dear or are—at best—unenlightened people whom perhaps we can guide into our truth. But what if there, in the end, is only one real “us”—fellow human beings? And what if that take on the world, rather than somehow “watering down” whatever we might offer, actually opens up powerful opportunities for the kind of potent connection and growth we’re so excited about?

3. There really is something going on out there.

We have a mystical side. On the whole, we’ve found that the modern urge to sum up things into abstract truth claims has its upsides, but doesn’t reflect the whole of what’s actually happening. We’ve found that the universe is richly relational. That makes a big difference in how we connect with other people, but it also points us to a God who wants to talk to us and guide us and encourage us and motivate us. That seems like an important part of the story.

4. By and large, we flow easily within secular culture.

Secular culture, like religious culture, is just a culture, with good and bad qualities. In the past when those of us with religious backgrounds have shaken our fist at it, we’ve come to realize to our embarrassment that, rather than defending God, we’ve often been defending things like “the way I grew up” or “a forcefully-presented perspective from a combative preacher I heard once.” And we often find, to our surprise, that some secular person really helps us at a deep level—they make a movie which blows us away, they write a wise and helpful op-ed. We find ourselves hoping that we can offer our best insights within our culture even as we receive the best things it has to offer.


5. There’s no bad news in connecting with God.

We wonder if God’s most-central mission statement towards us is “to do us good with all God’s heart and soul.” As we redirect God’s way, we’ve found that there is only good news for us. Our lives seem to turn bad as we veer off this course. This means that reality is the friend of religious and nonreligious people alike—it will always tell us how we need to course-correct. None of us are super-geniuses at this ongoing redirection, but together we can cheer each other on.

6. Jesus has proven to be a particularly helpful North Star.

We often contribute to this “everyone is us” world by describing how we’ve found particular help by falteringly redirecting ourselves Jesus’s way.

7. We grow by taking our own unique, high-risk journey.

We’ve found that spiritual (and personal, and intellectual) growth doesn’t happen as we might expect by learning interesting new things each day until we die. Instead, we’re each invited into the kind of adventure that Abraham, “the father of faithful people,” was invited into. Abraham left his comfortable world to take a trip to someplace he couldn’t exactly place on the maps he had, a trip that would require close attention to a supernatural guide. Feeling vulnerable and taking new risks and wondering if we’re on the right track and suspecting we’re misunderstood and needing to pray at a gut level rather than as an arid “spiritual discipline…” that’s the stuff of Blue Ocean faith.

8. My drive to judge other people is a big problem.

Many of us come from backgrounds in which good people are expected to “draw clear lines” against evil people. But we’ve found that our quick urge to judge people has in fact been the bigger problem for us. The opposite of this has come through words like “love” or “humility” which get very good raps in the Bible, while Jesus and Paul are particularly hard on judgment.

We find ourselves motivated less on “being a witness for the Truth” (Jesus’s parable of the wheat and the weeds and his strong warning that he doesn’t trust us to rip out the damned from the saved has given us food for thought) than on joyfully offering what we know of Jesus even as we learn from those around us.


9. Everything is shot through with meaning.

Where we once, perhaps, were tempted to believe that if we just studied enough we’d learn the whole truth about everything, we’re discovering that God’s reality is quite large. This offers us an encouraging sense of wonder about each moment and each person. The possibilities for growth and insight really do prove to be immense.


The Three Mission Tasks of Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor

In 2015 Dr. David Gushee told us that Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed very much applied to Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor: "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? "It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade” (Mark 4: 30–32)

We see this working itself out on three levels, each an important part of our mission.

1. Simply being a church community that provides shelter for many people, including those previously excluded by churches like ours. In other words, simply being a church that fully welcomes people—providing shelter in its branches—is a work of the kingdom of God. We are creating a home for those who previously had none.

Our church was born in the trauma of the controversy over the full inclusion of sexual minorities. As any previously excluded group experiences full inclusion, everyone else experiences a deeper sense of acceptance. As Black Lives Matter emerged as a movement calling for justice for racial minorities, we felt called to embrace its message. We support efforts to welcome Muslim refugees relocating to the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area from war-torn nations, through the work of Jewish Social Services, a local refugee relocation agency. Through the Nancy Wilson Scholarship Fund we support single moms and their kids with scholarships awarded each year, as funds are available. With our friends at St. Clare’s and Temple Beth Emeth, we staff a Rotating Shelter to provide care for our neighbors without homes during a week in the winter months. All of these efforts are good for us because they help create a church culture and environment in which we all feel welcome.

Whenever we lend a hand to make church happen—giving financially, serving as ushers, greeters, making the coffee, caring for kids in the nursery, teaching Sunday School, facilitating worship, printing the bulletin, creating a small group, administering finances, just to name a few examples—we are living out the parable of the mustard seed that becomes a tree providing shelter for many.

2. As we form a local church here in the Ann Arbor area, we are also part of a work of the Spirit to form a new church network called Blue Ocean Churches. Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor is one of the charter members of this network. Like a mustard seed, it is small (a handful of congregations, but with more to come).


3. Virtually all of our staff have invested time directly in supporting this new network. Diane and her team of Sunday School teachers have been and will be asked to consult with people doing Sunday school in emerging Blue Ocean churches, for example. Things that we are putting into practice here (blending contemporary music with liturgical elements, involving young people in leading worship) are being tried elsewhere. We have had visits from other Blue Ocean Faith churches around the country who are also creating church spaces of full inclusion. We probably have a few future church planters serving as lay leaders now. While a smaller number of people are directly involved in this, the fact that we are working together to raise us up a Blue Ocean church that be a blessing to other churches in the network plays a vital role.

4. Supporting national efforts beyond Blue Ocean to form more inclusive church communities. We have a window of opportunity to help churches around the country who are interested in becoming more inclusive, especially to the LGBT community. Churches beyond the blue ocean church network contact us to learn more about Third Way, including

the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, and the Christian Reformed Church. We have hosted video pastor conference calls with clergy around the country who are re-thinking the traditional reading of Scripture that leads to LGBT discrimination. We get requests from FB groups ministering to the parents of LGBT children in religious settings that are not supportive.


Expectations of Membership

1. Make regular financial contributions as you are able. Every member makes a financial pledge for the coming year. This is simply a statement of the amount you intend to give barring unforeseen circumstances. We encourage you to give online through one of our monthly recurring gift options (via credit/debit card or direct bank deposit).

2. Serving as you are able. There are many different ways to serve and we encourage our members to find one that works for your schedule. Because without people who sign up and show up, church doesn’t happen.

3. Participating as you are able. Simply being present to connect with others in worship, in service, in a visit to the hospital or a meal brought to a new mom or person recovering from surgery, joining a 6 week connect group or an ongoing small group, or stopping by for one of our monthly connect events/parties, makes a huge difference for all of us who are enriched by the connections of a faith community.


Budget Process

In the fall, the board and staff work together on preparing a budget for the coming year. The board approves an estimated income (based on pledges members indicate on their membership letters, past giving history, etc.) The staff then works up a proposed budget, working with any ministry leaders who oversee budget categories. This budget is presented to the board for preliminary approval.

The board makes this budget available to our members three weeks prior to our annual business meeting, per our bylaws. Members are able to give input on the upcoming budget at an open board meeting for this purpose held after church. After considering this input, the board finalizes the budget and it is presented to the church members for approval by a vote in early December.

For reference, the current budget is included in the Appendix (page 21).


Staff

EMILY SWAN | CO-PASTOR Emily grew up in Indianapolis and moved to Ann Arbor after college to work for Borders Group Inc. She received her B.A. in history from Butler University, and has worked toward her Master’s degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. Additionally, she spent three years studying Mandarin and Amdo Tibetan languages at Qinghai Minzu Dazue Nationalities University in Xining, China. After spending some years working for two Fortune 500 companies in public relations, marketing, and

finance, she served as a pastor for seven years for the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor. Emily is co-author, with Ken, of Solus Jesus: A Theology of Resistance (ReadTheSpirit, 2018). She is married to Rachel Murr and they live in Ypsilanti and enjoy cooking and playing tennis. Emily blogs at: (https://medium.com/solus-jesus)

KEN WILSON | CO-PASTOR Ken was born and raised in Detroit, is the father of six, grandfather of another six, and is married to Rev. Julia Huttar Bailey. Ken received a B.S.N. from the University of Michigan; before entering the pastorate, he worked in community mental health. Ken is the author of several books, including Mystically Wired: Exploring New Realms in Prayer (Thomas Nelson, 2010); A Letter To My Congregation: An Evangelical Pastor’s Path to Embracing Those Who are Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Into the Company of Jesus (ReadTheSpirit, 2014); and most recently co-author, with Emily, of Solus Jesus: A Theology of

Resistance (ReadTheSpirit, 2018). Ken was the founding pastor of Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor, and served for seven years on the national board of Vineyard USA. Ken enjoys walking, reading and writing–but arithmetic, not so much. Ken blogs at: (https://medium.com/solus-jesus)

CASSIE BRABBS | WORSHIP DIRECTOR Cassie lives in Ann Arbor with her three children. She studied music in college and enjoys singing and writing songs.

CAROLINE KITTLE | YOUTH MINISTRY DIRECTOR and ADMIN ASSISTANT Caroline graduated from the University of Michigan and has a Masters in Women and Gender Studies from DePaul University. Caroline and her husband Matt have two children.


DIANE SONDA | SUNDAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR Diane is an experienced elementary and middle school teacher with several years’ experience as a Children’s Ministry Director. Diane is married to Paul Sonda. They have six adult children and eleven grandchildren. Diane has a degree in Special Education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Blue Ocean Faith Ann Arbor Board

Mike Carthage is retired from Ford Motor Company. He grew up in Maybee, Michigan and now lives in Ypsilanti with his wife Christin and sons Michael, a senior at Trinity Christian College near Chicago, and Justin, a freshman studying biochemistry at Wayne State University.

Robyn Charles is a former engineer, a volunteer at 826michigan (Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair), and the person you often see running the video camera on Sunday mornings. She is married to Al and they have two adult sons.

Steve Gray is the earnest Midwesterner that most hipsters aspire to be: born and raised in Flint, MI; attended college in Indiana and law school in Illinois. For most of his career he has been a legal aid lawyer, until recently when he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Law School as a clinical professor and directs the Unemployment Insurance Clinic. Steve is married to Joy Lange and has been for 32 years. They have two “adult” children.

Carla Huff is a Senior Business Analyst with IBM Watson Health, building tools to help consumers with their healthcare decision needs. She lives in Ypsilanti with her wife Sharonda, son Traye and their two dogs.

Suzanne Jones is a "roadie" for the band as part of the sound team. She works at Merck as a Program Manager to develop oncology drugs. She is a single mom of a wonderful adult daughter. She lives in Ypsilanti, MI.


Tim Kowaleski is the Executive Director - HR Field Operations for Consumers Energy. Tim is the father of 2 adult sons and one adult daughter. His partner of 17 years is Rich Beswick.

Niki Piotrowski is a husband to Jen, father to 2 adolescent sons, and a tax professional and small business executive. He is an INFP and a 9. In his spare time, he enjoys making food and cocktails and participating in a variety of outdoor activities.

Lisa Ruby is an attorney with the Michigan Poverty Law Program specializing in Social Security, Health and Welfare Benefits. Lisa is the mother of an adult son and is married to Lisa Carico.

Emily Swan (see above bio)

Sue Weil is the mother of two and has been married to Lee for 30 years. She has a business degree and works as a Business Analyst in IT at the University of Michigan. Sue’s favorite place to visit is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.

Ken Wilson (see above bio)


Appendix

Current Budget (2018)

2018

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Ann Arbor Blue Ocean Church Bylaws (revised 2018.01.10)

DEFINITIONS

Church = Ann Arbor Blue Ocean Church

Board = duly elected members of the Church Board

ARTICLE I - OFFICES

A. The Church shall maintain a registered office in the State of Michigan and a registered agent at such office. The Church may have other offices.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERS

A. Classes of Members

1. The Church shall have one class of members.

B. Membership Process.

1. A prospective member will:

a. complete the membership process provided by the Church. b. submit a letter stating their intention to fulfill the responsibilities of membership and make a

financial pledge in accord with their ability to contribute. c. agree to support the Vision, Mission, and Core Values of the Church, d. agree to be bound by the provisions of this set of Bylaws.

2. Candidates for membership shall be accepted by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors.

3. The membership rolls may be reviewed at any time by the Board to ensure that all members are in good standing according to the provisions of this Article.

C. Responsibilities of Membership

1. The responsibilities of membership include:

a. regular participation in the life and communal worship of the Church, b. financial support of the Church, c. contribution of services to implement the Vision and Mission of the Church, d. maintaining an attitude of cooperation with the pastors and leaders of the Church, pursuit of

personal integration of the Church's Vision, Mission, and Core Values.

D. Resignation of Membership

1. Any member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors.

E. Forfeiture of Membership and Removal

1. Members forfeit their membership who:

a. refuse to abide by or support the Bylaws of the Church; or b. disrupt the Church or its activities.

2. If a member is in violation of section E(1)(a) or (b) above, the member shall be removed by majority vote of the Church Board and will communicate with the member removed at their discretion. If cause for removal from membership shall be found in any member, the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors


or the pastors’ designated representative shall attempt to communicate with the member privately in order to seek the appropriate resolution. If this fails, the Board or its representatives shall seek to communicate with the member to achieve resolution. In the absence of resolution, the Board will consider removal from membership.

Under the above circumstances, persons can only be removed from membership by a majority vote of the Board. Decisions to remove a person from membership will be communicated to the individual and will be recorded in the minutes of the Board. Further communication to the Church regarding the removal of a member shall be made at the discretion of the Board.

3. Membership is renewable by the member on an annual basis.

ARTICLE III - MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

A. Conduct of Meetings.

The Chair of the Board or the Chair's designated alternate Board member, shall preside over all meetings of the members.

B. Annual Business Meeting.

1. An Annual Business Meeting shall be held to approve the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, elect board members or transact other appropriate business.

2. Copies of the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be made available to the congregation at least three weeks before the Annual Business Meeting.

3. The Board will hold a board meeting open to all members at least two weeks before the Annual Business Meeting for the express purpose of receiving any input from the members regarding the budget. Members who wish to ask questions, make recommendations or offer comments may do so by sending their comments in writing before this meeting of the Board, or by attending the Board meeting in person.

4. The Board will then finalize and approve the budget and present it at the Annual Business Meeting for a vote in accordance with this Article.

C. Special Meetings.

1. Special meetings of the members may be called by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors or by the Board.

D. Notice of Annual Business or Special Meetings. 1. The place and time of meetings shall be determined by the Board.

2. A notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be issued not less than ten nor more than forty days before the date of the meeting.

3. Such notices shall be by one or more of the following:

a. Oral or written notice - consisting of announcements at regularly scheduled meetings of the Church.

b. Electronic - consisting of email as it appears on the records of the Church, posting on the Church website or other electronic media.

c. Mailed - consisting of United States mail with postage thereon prepaid addressed to the member at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Church.


4. If the purpose of the meeting includes the approval of any proposals, the Board shall provide information prior to the meeting. Such information may include (but is not limited to) the list of candidates for positions, annual budget, proposed amendments, etc.

E. Voting.

1. Each member present shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members. Absentee votes in writing will be accepted in the Church office provided that they are received by the end of the meeting.

2. Except as otherwise noted, a simple majority of the votes cast by the members present at the meeting or cast as absentee is sufficient for approval.

3. Voting by members shall only be conducted at a meeting called in accordance with this article.

ARTICLE IV - GOVERNMENT

A. Church Board.

1. The Church Board (Board) shall be the governing body of the Church in respect to matters related to conduct of business affairs by the Church (e.g. including but not limited to budgets, compensation, employment, financial investment, buying or leasing of facility, maintenance, contract negotiation, etc. ) and any other matters specifically given to the Board in the Bylaws.

2. The Board shall provide prayer, advice, counsel, and support to the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors regarding the life and the ministry of the Church.

3. Subject to limitation of the Articles of Incorporation, other sections of the Bylaws, and of Michigan law, all corporate powers of the corporation shall be exercised by or under the authority of the Board and the business and affairs of the corporation shall be controlled by the Board.

4. The Board shall have the following powers:

a. To select and remove all other officers and, agents, and employees of the corporation, prescribe such powers and duties for them as may be consistent with the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws, and fix their compensation of employees.

b. To conduct, manage, and control the business affairs of the corporation, and to make rules and regulations consistent with the Articles of Incorporation, and the Bylaws.

c. To borrow money, and incur indebtedness for the purpose of the corporation and for that purpose cause to be executed and delivered, in the corporate name, promissory notes, bonds, debentures, deeds of trust, mortgages, pledges, or other evidence of debt and securities.

d. To conduct an annual performance review of the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors at least every two years.

e. To fix the fiscal year of the corporation by resolution.

f. To resolve serious complaints within the scope of the Bylaws between parties within the Church when normal efforts to resolve the concern have failed. The Board shall serve as the final appeal within the Church for complaints.

- Members wishing to bring a complaint must provide a written request to the Board Chair (or a Board member designated by the Board) stating the nature of the issue and efforts undertaken to resolve the concern.


- The Board will determine if there is a reasonable basis for the complaint and that the underlying issue is weighty enough to justify Board action, and communicate this determination to the member bringing the complaint.

- The Board will establish and execute a process for handling the complaint, which will be dependent on the nature of the specific complaint, and will communicate this process to the member bringing the complaint.

5. A majority of Board members then in office constitutes a quorum for the transaction of any business at any meeting of the Board. Actions voted on by a majority of Board members present at a meeting where a quorum is present shall constitute authorized actions of the Boards. Actions submitted to an email vote by the Board chair and voted on by email and approved by a majority of all Board members then in office shall also constitute authorized actions of the Board.

6. The Chair of the Board or designee shall make an annual written report of the Church finances from the previous fiscal year. At any time during the fiscal year, any member of the Church may submit a written request to the Board for the most current budget report.

B. Board Members.

1. The Board shall consist of a minimum of seven members and a maximum of thirteen members, including the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors. There shall always be an odd number of members.

2. The gender distribution of the board will equal in number plus one in women or men.

3. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall solicit input from the members of the Church for potential Board members. Board members shall be members of the Church, nominated by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors and individually approved by a majority vote of the Board, excluding the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors, and individually approved by a majority vote of the members of the Church.

4. A majority of the Board must not be employed by the Church, and the ratio of lay members to paid staff members shall be 2:1 or greater.

5. Vacancies shall be filled by members of the Church, nominated by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors and approved by a majority vote of the Board, excluding the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors. A successor Board member so appointed shall serve for the unexpired term of the predecessor.

6. The Board Chair shall be nominated by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors and approved by a majority of the remaining Board members.

7. The term of office for Board members shall be three (3) years or until a successor is appointed. Board members shall serve for staggered terms of office not to exceed three years per term. Staggered terms allow for a degree of continuity that might be lost if the entire board turned over at the same time. The Board shall be divided into three classes with staggered terms, with each class as nearly equal in number as possible. Each class shall be up for re-election every third year. If Members are added to the board, the new Member will be given an initial term of years that creates a balance in years of experience across Board Members. This may include serving a partial term. The Board reserves the right to decrease a Member's term if it serves the purpose expressed in this item.

8. Successors for Board members whose term of office are expiring shall be nominated and approved at the Annual Business Meeting.

9. A Board member and the Board Chair may succeed themselves in office if nominated and approved.

10. The Board Chair shall serve for a one-year term as part of the member's normal term of office.


11. A Board member other than the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors may be removed from office by the vote of a majority of the Board membership. The Board member being considered for removal may not vote on their own dismissal. Grounds for removal include, but are not limited to, significant breach of the Bylaws, failure to carry out the Responsibilities of Membership, or failure to faithfully fulfill the duties of the office.

12. The Board members shall receive no compensation for their services as Board members.

13. Individual Board members do not have the power to conduct business on behalf of the Church, direct pastors or staff or otherwise exercise the powers of the Board unless specifically delegated by the Board.

C. Place, Time and Minutes of Board Meetings.

1. Regular meetings of the Board may be held at any place and time that has been designated by the Board.

2. The Board Chair shall appoint a Board member to record minutes of every meeting which will be filed in the designated location in the Church office after approval at a subsequent Board meeting.

3. The Board will meet a minimum of 6 times per year.

4. Special meetings of the Board for any purpose may be called at any time by the Board Chair, Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors(s) or a majority of the other Board members.

a. A special meeting may be in person or held by conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all members participating in the meeting can hear one another, and all such members shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting. Non-participating members shall be notified within 48 hours of the occurrence of said meeting and any actions approved during said meeting. Written minutes shall be prepared and filed.

5. Action Without a Meeting.

a. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board may be taken without a meeting, if members of the Board shall individually or collectively consent in writing to that action. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the Board at the subsequent meeting. Written consent may include email or similar electronic communication

D. Corporate Officers. 1. The corporate officers of the Church shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer and such

other officers as the Board may appoint. No two offices may be held by the same person.

2. The Board shall appoint all officers of the corporation by majority vote. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the Board. Officers shall be members of the Church. Members of the paid staff and their families shall not serve as officers.

3. The officers shall have power to execute documents, contracts, and routine legal or financial business of the Church, as directed by the Board. At any time the Board may review a financial or legal decision of the officers, and may overrule any action by a two-thirds majority vote.

4. Terms of office shall be one year for all officers. In the event of death, resignation, or removal before a term expires, the new officer shall complete the term. Each officer shall hold office until a successor shall have been duly appointed, or until death, resignation, or removal as provided herein.

5. Any officer may be removed by the Board at any time, by a vote of two- majority vote thirds of the Board members.


6. The Board Chair shall fill the office of President, ex-officio. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the corporation and shall see that the resolutions and directives of the Board are carried into effect, except in those instances in which that responsibility is assigned to some other person by the Board, and, in general, shall discharge all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board. Except in those instances in which the authority to execute is expressly delegated to another officer or agent of the corporation or a different mode of execution is expressly prescribed by the Board or these Bylaws, the President may execute for the corporation any contracts, deeds, mortgages, bonds, or other instruments which the Board has authorized to be executed, and the President may accomplish such execution either individually or with the Secretary, any assistant, or any other officer thereunto authorized by the Board, according to the requirements of the form of instrument.

7. The Secretary of the Board shall fill the office of Secretary, ex-officio. The Secretary shall see that the minutes of the meetings of the Board and meetings of the members are recorded and filed in the location designated by the Board, see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law, be custodian of the corporate records, and perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to by the Board.

8. The Treasurer shall see that budgets are prepared by the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors and that reports to the Board regarding the financial affairs of the Church are provided.

ARTICLE V - INDEMNIFICATION

A. To the extent permitted by law, the Church will indemnify and hold harmless its officers, Board members and employees against any claim or liability and will hold said individual(s) harmless from and pay for any and all expenses incurred arising out of or in connection with any act or omission performed or made in good faith on behalf of the Church, regardless of negligence. Additionally, the Church will provide employee, officers and directors liability insurance covering acts or omissions by the individual(s) in the performance of their duties for the Church.

ARTICLE VI - PASTORS AND STAFF

A. Lead Pastor and Co-Pastor. 1. The Lead Pastor shall, at his/her discretion, appoint a Co-Pastor with the approval of the board

(simple majority.) The Lead Pastor and the appointed Co-Pastor will then function by consensus. They will be referred to as Co-Pastors. At any time, the original Lead Pastor with approval of the board (simple majority) may end the Co-Pastor arrangement.

2. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall provide spiritual leadership to the Church and oversight for matters relating to the spiritual health of the Church, matters of doctrine and interpretation, matters of spiritual ordinances for the Church, direction of the Church's ministry, and any other matters reasonably connected to the spiritual life of the Church, with advice and counsel being received from the Board.

3. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall oversee the operation of the Church on a daily basis and give leadership to the pastoral staff, the Church body and its ministries.

4. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall provide a regular report to the Board regarding the Church's ministries and the performance of the paid staff.

5. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors or designee shall make an oral or written report to the members regarding the activities and plans for the Church.


6. The Board shall seek and nominate a candidate for Lead Pastor should a vacancy arise in the pastorate. Two-thirds majority of the full Board and a majority of members of the congregation must approve the candidate for Lead Pastor.

7. The Lead Pastor shall resign, or his/her pastorate be terminated, upon a two-thirds vote of the Board and a two-thirds vote at a Meeting of Members (see Article IV Voting). Grounds for removal include departure from the Vision, Mission and Core Values, significant breach of the bylaws, failure to execute the Responsibilities of Membership, or failure to faithfully fulfill the duties of the office.

B. Pastoral Staff

1. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall define pastoral staff positions, in writing, as necessary to conduct the ministry of the Church. They shall serve under the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors’ direction in the pastoral care and oversight of the Church.

2. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall nominate pastoral staff positions, for approval by a majority of the Board.

3. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors, after counseling with the Board, shall fix compensation for pastoral staff, subject to the requirements of the approved budget.

4. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors, after counseling with the Board, may require the resignation, or terminate the employment of, pastoral staff.

5. The Board, after counseling with the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors, may by a two-thirds vote, require the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors to terminate the employment of other pastoral staff.

C. Staff

1. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors shall define staff positions, in writing, as necessary to conduct the ministry of the Church. They shall serve under the direction of the Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors or designee.

2. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors is/are responsible for employment, direction and termination of staff.

D. Conflicts of Interest 1. Board members or paid members of the Church may conduct for-profit personal business with

Church members, but may not conduct for-profit personal business with the Church as an organization.

2. For any Board member or paid member of the Church staff to be a leader of another religious group unaffiliated with Blue Ocean requires approval by a majority vote of the Board.


ARTICLE VII - ORDINATION

A. Process for Ordination.

1. The Lead Pastor or Co-Pastors and Board shall establish and administer a written ordination process.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

A. These Bylaws may be amended, provided the amendment is approved by a majority vote of the Board and majority vote of the Church members at a Meeting of Members.

ARTICLE IX - DISSOLUTION

A. In the event of the dissolution of this organization, the distribution of the assets shall be to one or more non-profit, Christian organizations, and shall be decided by the Board at the same time as the dissolution of this organization.

Documents

Membership Booklet 2018-final.digital · network called Blue Ocean Faith Churches, with established churches or new church plants in Boston, Manhattan, Iowa City, Madison WI, Wooster